Glenda Paquin and I recently connected after a Heartstrong morning session to share stories and testimonies about surrender to the LORD. We thought, “Hey, this would be a good topic for a collaborative blog,” so this is the fruit of our effort! Think of it as “The Car & the Clothes SURRENDER Test.” Today I share my perspective, and Glenda’s will be shared tomorrow. So please come back to get the complete picture of our views on surrender.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; all your ways, submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3: 5-6 (NIV).
I am often asked about practical, effective tools to initiate spiritual change and what I have observed to be helpful in Life Start, a ten-week course on Faith. RECOGNITION OF A PROBLEM IS THE GATEWAY TO CHANGE. Over the 15 years I facilitated these groups at Life Centre, the car test has been a fun and revealing exercise to examine where participants actually stand or “sit” with a surrendered life to our Lord. The activity is simple: Imagine your life as a car, and Jesus would like to go on the ride with you. The seat you sit in determines the control or surrender you exhibit in your life. The DRIVER has complete control. The front passenger seat has less control and has started the process of surrender. The back seat driver has little to no control but a very high level of surrender and trust in the driver to get them safely to their destination.
So here is what I found; most people initially thought the test was going to be very easy, and “of course,” they were all in the back seat enjoying life while Jesus drove them to their next destination. Well, quite the opposite was true. Here are a few stories from some participants, some you may find quite humorous. Do you see yourself in any of these responses?
One person said they were holding on to the steering wheel so tightly their fingers hurt, and their knuckles were white (Classic case of “white-knuckling” the steering wheel). Jesus was talking to them, but they didn’t trust Him. “I keep driving to places where I don’t want to be, but I can’t trust enough to surrender control.”
Another person said, “I am in the passenger seat, but I keep fighting Jesus for control of the steering wheel; every time I don’t recognize where we are going, I reach for control.” They want to change but can’t let go. They are exhausted by the back and forth. It took a long time for them to get to their destination.
Another shared that they were soooo rude to Jesus, He kicked them out of the car unto the curb. He said He would be back to pick them up later when they had cooled down and thought things over.
Someone was celebrating that they had made it to the back seat, but upon further investigation, we found out that they had NO PEACE while back there. They were yelling at Jesus at the top of their lungs (Classic case of the back seat driver)!! This person was deceiving themselves, as they still wanted total control.
Another observation came when switching topics. One lady shared she was in the passenger seat when it pertained to her husband, but she was in the driver’s seat regarding her kids. The truth is we are just stewards of our children; in the end, they belong to Jesus. It takes a lot to surrender the people we love to Jesus and trust Him with those relationships.
One person said he turned the music up so loud that he couldn’t hear Jesus. Another said that she fought with Jesus to control the GPS to decide where they would go and the best route to get there. Avoidance doesn’t stop or hide the TRUTH, and it takes trust to let someone else plan the trip.
These last two examples stood out as memorable because they were so extreme:
Someone shared that Jesus had strapped them to the top of the car’s roof because they could NOT behave in the car cabin. They were distracting the vehicle from reaching its destination safely. Jesus is saying, “I am not going to let you wreck your life.”
And my ALL TIME FAVORITE IS:
“I kept driving into a ditch no matter how hard I tried, so I asked Jesus to tie me up and put me in the TRUNK and wake me up when we got there!! I couldn’t trust myself anymore to drive and not take the wheel if in the car, but I could trust that Jesus could get me there if I didn’t interfere!! “
What would surrender look like IF YOUR LIFE WAS A CAR? If Jesus asks you to turn right, would you be obedient to turn right or would you mistrust, rebel and turn left? Do the CAR TEST. The results may surprise you!
Do the CAR TEST and leave a comment in the box below. We would love to hear from you. Thank you!
Glenda Paquin
Lord I want to be the passenger stretched out in the back seat, with a pillow beside me and and a blanket tucking me in, fully able to sleep peacefully when needed, to sing to You and talk to you often, to praise You and bless your holy presence always and if, when I wake up jolted out of my slumber or if I see or hear something that startles or frightens me, I want to bring it to You and look to You for your loving reassurance that all is well as you have everything in your control. You are my safe driver in this journey of life here until I reach my destination to be with you in the new Jerusalem…Thank you Abba Father.
Teri Lazar
I am all over the map in this car though I really want to be in the back seat sitting next to Glenda. Praying for TRUE surrender every day!